Flood Hazards and Farm Based Agricultural Production Risks Management Practices in Flood Prone Areas in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Climate induced disasters more specifically the floods have caused severe damages to agriculture sector in Pakistan. These climatic risks have constrained farming community to adopt numerous risk management strategies to overcoming such risks. This research work attempted to examine the association of risk management tools with farmer’s perception of risk, risk averse attitude and various socioeconomic factors. The study employed the sample data of 398 farmers from flood prone two districts of Punjab, Pakistan. To investigate the association of dependent and independent variables this study used the multivariate probit model. Results of the study illustrated as heavy rains and floods consider not significant source of risk for large farmers in the study area while for small farmer these indicated as high risks as most of small farmers were more risk averse. Estimates of multivariate probit model interpreted as age of farmer, heavy rains risk perception and landholding size were positively relationship with risk management tool of depletion of assets. Farmers education, off-farm income, age and risk averse attitude of farmer were positive whereas experience of farming were negatively linked with reduction of consumption. Furthermore, experience of farming, risk averse attitude, heavy rains and floods risk perception were positively association with diversification adoption. Flood prone farming community of the study area is more vulnerable to these climatic risks and also relying traditional strategies for risk management. There is need of some specific agriculture base measure such as crop insurance, extending formal credit and flood base measure as pre-flood warning system, flood rescue management and post flood rehabilitation to overcome these climatic risks.

Requiem for a country—Pakistan can survive regular flood events

“…Which caused widespread devastation and affected 32 million people scrambling to survive [2], of which 16 million were children [3], leaving around 1700 people dead, including over 350 children [4]. The number of fatalities is rising due to the waterborne disease outbreak among survivors, and more than 3 million children face health risks [5]. Millions of families have been forced from their homes; homeless people are living in relief camps and tents alongside roads to protect themselves from the scorching sun as temperatures in some areas pass 40 degrees Celsius [1]; among the most adversely affected are children.…”

Analyzing the determinants of agricultural credit accessibility for farmers in flood-prone regions

“…Due to a lack of collateral security, the mainstream's tiny range of farmers is unable to sponge money from bank organizations. Minor-scale farmers often only qualify for minor loans to buy seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides and are unable to be appropriate for loans to buy tractors, pipe wells, and agricultural equipment because they lack enough collateral (Ahmad and Afzal 2021).…”